Two years ago, Martin was a “problem child” and he often caused a lot of trouble. But he didn’t usually give his mother much trouble. However, after his father’s death, Martin’s life became much more . His mother didn’t have enough money to for his education. To do this, she had to work hard, and so she was not often at home with him.

His mother looked after him as as she could, but Martin still caused problems. He was not interested in and he was often in trouble with the police. Luckily, his mother was very patient, and didn’t give up trying to help him. In the end, she made a difficult decision: to send him to a boys’ boarding school (寄宿学校). But Martin it very much. One day, he told his head teacher he wanted to leave the . The head teacher said it was necessary for Martin to talk with his , so Martin called his mother. To his surprise, this phone call changed his life.

“ was really what I needed,” he said later. “My mother helped me to understand how much she had given me. She also told me that my father was watching me, he had died, and he would always be proud of everything good I did. I realized that after my father died, I was to be alone, and I tried to make my mother pay more attention to me.”

Martin has really changed, and he is now a student in his class. How was he able to change? His mother’s love helped to feel good about himself. As Martin says it’s very important for parents to be there for their children.

1.A. careful B. beautiful C. difficult D. wonderful

2.A. pay B. ask C. look D. wait

3.A. fast B. well C. soon D. good

4.A. eating B. playing C. fighting D. studying

5.A. had B. liked C. hated D. took

6.A. room B. library C. street D. school

7.A. mother B. father C. teacher D. head teacher

8.A. I B. It C. He D. One

9.A. if B. than C. although D. because

10.A. nice B. glad C. afraid D. careful

11.A. bad B. good C. healthy D. lazy

12.A. it B. me C. her D. him

Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness. Aristotle, a Greek thinker, said, “Happiness depends on be happier.

The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future — for example, getting into college or getting a good job — that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives.

Another secret to living a happy life is to be active, and have hobbies where you forget your problems and time. Many people experience dancing, or playing a sport, such as swimming. You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity.

Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to buy food for an elderly person, or simply help out around the house by washing the dishes.

1. The second paragraph tells us that ________.

A. we shouldn’t think about our future

B. some people fail to live a happy life

C. happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life

D. the more friends you have, the happier you will be

2.The passage gives us ________ pieces of advice on happiness.

A. one B. two C. three D. four

3.Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?

A. Reading a good book

B. Traveling to a foreign country

C. Playing a sport

D. Spending time with close friends

Someone once said, “The pen is even stronger than the sword (剑).” Bertha von Suttner believed in peace. She thought that none of the world’s problems could be solved until people learned to live together in peace. She used her pen to tell the world her beliefs.

Bertha Kinsky was born in 1843 to a rich Austrian family. In 1859 she heard about the horrors of war taking place in nearby areas of southern and central Europe. In 1864 she saw a war taking place in her country. The Kinsky family lost its money, and Bertha became a private teacher to the von Suttner family. She left Austria in 1876 to work for Alfred Nobel, a rich factory owner. She soon returned to Austria to marry the Baron von Suttner, but she and Nobel were still friends.

In 1898 Bertha von Suttner wrote a book against war called Lay Down Your Arms. It was immediately popular. In 1891 she started the Austrian Peace Organization. From 1892 to 1899, she was the editor of a worldwide peace magazine. Then, in 1899, she wrote her most famous book, The Machine Age.

Alfred Nobel supported Bertha von Suttner’s work in the peace movement. Before he died in 1896, some of his money was set aside to create the Nobel Prize. Every year since 1901, people who have done important work in sciences, literature (文学), and peace have received Nobel Prizes. Many believe that Nobel’s friendship with Baroness von Suttner convinced (说服) him to create the peace prize.

In 1904 Bertha von Suttner won the Nobel Peace Prize. She was the first woman to win the peace prize, and she was the second woman to win the Nobel Prize.

Bertha von Suttner died I June 1914. A week later, World War I began in Europe.

1.Did Bertha von Suttner use her pen to tell the world her beliefs?

2.When did a war take place in Austria?

3.What did Bertha von Suttner do against war?

4.Why did Alfred Nobel create the Nobel Prize?

5.What does the passage mainly talk about?

 0  86386  86394  86400  86404  86410  86412  86416  86422  86424  86430  86436  86440  86442  86446  86452  86454  86460  86464  86466  86470  86472  86476  86478  86480  86481  86482  86484  86485  86486  86488  86490  86494  86496  86500  86502  86506  86512  86514  86520  86524  86526  86530  86536  86542  86544  86550  86554  86556  86562  86566  86572  86580  159627 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网